In a poll conducted by lastminute.com.au, a booking website, 912 people admitted to lying in order to receive free upgrades on flights. Some 44 percent of these individuals reported being successful in their deceptions.
There are plenty of white lies and tall tales employed by these upgrade-chasers, but the most popular involve either romance or illness, according to DailyMail. Some claim they are en route to a wedding or funeral while others fake a pregnancy or a leg injury in order to upgrade their seats or receive special attention.
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Louise Ryan of last minute.com.au says, "Some [people] are happy to go to all lengths in order to get an upgrade… However, there are definitely more legit methods of securing a better seat—such as becoming a frequent flyer with a certain airline, getting to the airport early or travelling at off-peak times."